Aeroplane vehicle



Sept. 14, 1926. 1,599,832

G. MILLER AEROPLANE VEHICLE Filed Oct; 15, 1919 2 Sheeis-Shqet 1 Sept. 14 1926. G. MILLER AEROPLANE VEHICLE Filed Oct. 15, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 14-, 19236.

PATENT OFFICE. 1

GEORGE MILLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AEROPLANE VEHICLE.

Application filed October 15, 1919.

My invention relates to vehicular toys and particularly to that class of toys known as aeroplane vehicle or pushmobiles.

It is well known to those familiar with the psychology of children that children always prefer to do the things in play which adults do in earnest. lVith this in mind, I have constructed the pushmobile embodying my invention to approximately closely in appearance and design an airplane. This gives the device a quality of attractiveness and desirability which gives the toy a long life and great favor as a toy. The toy of my invention also provides an inspirational and educational aspect to the juvenile mind.

According to my invention, the toy is so designed that the operator straddles the fuselage of the airplanes and operates the device with his feet, or it may be operated by means of pedals, the operator then sitting within the fuselage body, as does the pilot of an airplane.

The device embodying my invention is provided with a seat mounted upon the upper or lower longrons of the airplane fuselage, and upon which seat the operator sits to propel the device with his feet. A steering control is provided within the fuse lage and adjacent the seat. The control is of such a construction that it greatly resembles the construction used in the art for controlling the rudder of an airplane, thereby adding to the reality of the toy. Another novel feature is that the wings are so provided that they may be readily removed, if the toy is used within a closed or limited structure.

My invention may be further characterized by the following novel features.

(a) Artistic qualities in design and construction (b) Simplified and inexpensive construction;

(0) Provision of a toy which is permanently attractive and educational to the juvenile mind; and

(d) A construction which is durable, rug: god and substantially rigid.

I believe that I am the first to design a vehicular toy resembling an airplane and embodying its features so as to have such similarity that the toy is given the general appearance and action of a device capable of flying.

My invention in its more subordinate nature provides novel details of construction,

Serial No. 330,866.

combinations and arrangements of parts to gether with other incidental objects of similar nature, and all of which will be apparent from the following detailed specification.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying one form of my invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a modified form of my invention wherein I have illustrated a dual control and pedal operated device; with one side of the fuselage omitted to show the interior arrangement, the view being however a central longitudinal section with re spect to the axis of the'propeller;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Figure 3, but with the wing structure of the device removed; I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view taken on line 55 of Figure 3; r

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view illustrating the dual control mechanism employed in the modified form of my invention; and

Figure 7 is a detail view of the manner of fastening the wing C illustrated in Figure 3 to the body of the device.

Referring more particularly to Figurescl and 2 wherein I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, the vehicle comprises an airplane having a fuselage designated A, a tail structure B, a wing structure C and a landing gear structure 1), comprising a plurality of wheels, namely, aft and fore wheels.

The fuselage structure A comprises two upper longrons 5 and the two lower longrons 6, both of which are commonly employed in airplane construction. The fore or front ends of the upper longrons 5 are substantially held or fastened together by the cross member 7 which cross member 7 may be secured in any suitable manner, as by grooving into the longrons'e or by means of brackets or bolts. The two lower longrons 6 at their fore or front ends are held together in substantially a similar manner as that of the upper longrons. Holding or spacing the upper and lower longrons in a space relation to each other respectively is the vertical member 8, which i may be secured as is the cross member 7. Suitably mounted 1n any preferred manner is the mounting which carries the propeller 10, which propeller 10 is mounted upon the shaft 11.. The shaft 11 is allowed to freely rotate in its bearing, so that, as the vehicle is moved, the propeller will turn over, thereby adding to the novelty of the toy at large.

The tail structure B mounted at and upon the aft end of the two upper and two lower longerons 5 and 6 respectively is a construction which is commonly employed in airplane construction, and which when employed upon my device, adds to the reality of the toy, This tail structure B comprises a vertical stabilizer 12, two horizontal stabilizers 13 and 1 1, a movable rudder 15 and two spring mounted elevators 16 and 17, all of which form a neat and compact structure and adapted to meet the needs of my device.

The horizontal stabilizers 13 and 1 1 are of relatively thin material and have vertical flanges 18 struck up on their inner sides. The bolts 19 are passed through bolt-holes in the vertical flanges 18 and are adapted to register with bolt holes in the vertical stabilizer 12. The vertical stabilizer 1.2 has at its outer or aft end a downwardly projecting end 21 which is formed integral therewith, and which projection 21 has laterally extending flanges 22. The flanges 22 aresuitably fastened to the tail post 23 by means of the bolts 2 1. The tail post 23, commonly employed in the ,art, holds the upper and lower longrons 5 and 6 respectively in substantially rigid relation at the aft end of the fuselage A. A hinge 25 is formed between the vertical stabilizer 12 and the rudder 15, which hinge 25 permits of the rudder 15 a relatively free lateral movement, and which movement acts upon a change laterally in the direction of the toy. Upon disassembly of the tail structure, the

pin 26, which passes through the entire length of the hinge 25, is withdrawn from the hinge. This permits the toy to be easily dismantled or taken down in case it is desired to pack and ship or store the device. As hereinbefore mentioned, the elevators 16 and 17 are mounted on the structure under tension'of wire springs 27.

The wing structure C is of the monoplane type, although this is not of the essence of my invention, and it comprises a plurality of vertical struts 28. The struts 28 have at their upper ends a liftwing 29 mounted in any suitable manner, but I preferably show here mounting clips 30 bolted to the struts 28 and to the wing 29. The lower end of the struts 28, are passed through the engine hood covering 31 and into the receiving socket clips 32, which clips 32 are suitably mounted upon the inner faces of the upper longroiis 5] This novel form of mounting permits the wing structure to be easily and readily dismounted for facilitating shipping or storing, as hereinbefore pointed out.

The landing gear structure D, so called, comprises two front or fore wheels 33 and one rear or aft wheel 34 which controls the steering of the kiddie cart. The two front or fore wheels 33 are mounted upon the axle or shaft 35 which axle 35 is carried by the two angular upwardly projecting struts 36 and which are in turn mounted to the two lower longrons 6. The tail or aft wheel 3% is mounted within the forked bracket 37 having formed integrally therewith a stub shaft 38. Mounted in any suitable manner, preferably by mounting clips, to the fuselage structure A is the vertical post 10, which has at its lower end a pocket 41, formed therein, shown in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. lVith this pocket 11 a compression spring 12 is carried, and is adapted tov bear upon the bearing ring carried by the stub. shaft 38. It will be noted that this spring will act or serve as a shock absorber, thereby carrying the shocks to which a vehicular toy of this nature is subjected.

The cross members Suitable manner, to the upper longe' rons 5 carry the seat 414-, which seat is preferably of the width of the fuselage at this point, thereby permitting the operator to let his legs straddle the fuselage body. Adjacent the seat 4:4 is the steering control lever 1-5 pivoted on the upper longron 5. The lower end of the lever 45 has operative connection through the intermediate lever 4-6 with the cross bar 4:7. The cross member 17, carried by the lower longrons. 6, pivotally carries the cross bar 1-? by means of the central bolt 48. Adjacent the ends of the member 417 the steering wire 49 is connected, the other end of which wire 49 is suitably fastened to the bracket 50 mounted upon the forked bracket 37.

lVith reference to Figures 3 and 4 where in I have illustrated a modified form of construction embodying my invention, the device comprises substantially the same structures as hereinbefore described relative to my preferred form, except that the device is of a dual control and operated byv means of a dual pedal construction.

The front or fore wheels are mounted upon the crank shaft 55 carried by the vertical struts 36 which arefastened to the lower longrons 6 by means of the bolts 56. The form of pedal mechanism which I have illustrated, but which is not necessarily the only form, comprises the rods 57, 58, and 59. The front or fore end of the rod 57 is splayed toform a bearing upon the crank shaft 55 A pair of pedals 60 and 61 respectively. are provided for each compartment and are mounted in a suitable manner upon the rod 58. The rear or aft end of the rod 59 is also splayed toform av bearing on the cranks:62 rotatablymounted within mounted in any the housings 63, which housings are suitably mounted upon the vertical post 40. I consider that it is sufficient to say that the construction and arrangement of the aft wheel and the mounting therefor are substantially similar to that construction shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The steering mechanism here shown is of the dual type and comprises the levers 64;.

and 65 pivoted to the upright members 66 and 67 respectively. The lower ends of the levers 6% and 65 have pivotal connection with the intermediate levers 68 pivoted to one end of the cross bar 69. The cross bar 69 has a central aperture therein and in which passes therethrough the bolt 70 pivoting the bar 69 to the laterally projecting cross member 71. The two drivers seats 72 and 73 are mounted substantially Within the fuselage of the airplane and in such a position that the feet of the drivers will comfortably engage the pedals and 61 and the control levers 66 and 67 will be within convenient reach of each respective driver.

The wing structure has been illustrated as removable and as of the biplane type. The manner of fastening it to the body has been illustrated in Figure 7, but this fastening may vary or may be substantially the same as shown in Figure 2. The vertical strut 7 5 lies substantially adjacent to the side of the body and is removably secured thereto by a clip 76 preferably bolted to the upper longron.

\Vhile I have described my invention in connection with the details of a particular embodiment, I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to such details.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle toy, the combination of a body simulating an airplane and having longitudinal frame members at each side of said body, a tail structure carried by said body, fore and aft wheel mountings secured to said frame members, and a removble wing structure having the vertical struts thereof passing through the forward portion of said body and engageable in sockets carried by said frame members.

2. A vehicle toy having a body simulating an airplane and provided with upper and lower longitudinal frame members at each side of the body, the frame members at the forward end being connected together by vertical and cross connecting members, a cross member spaced between and connected to said vertical members, a propeller shaft journaled in said cross member, a post like member disposed rearwardly to which said frame members are connected for shaping the body so as to resemble a tapering tail end of an airplane, and a tail post to which the rear ends of said upper and lower frame members connect at each side of said body.

3. In a vehicle the combination of a body simulating an airplane, a tail structure at the rear of said body, said tail structure comprising a pair of spring mounted elevators and a movable rudder disposed therebetween, wheel structures for carrying said body, and a removable wing structure mounted on the body.

l. In a childs vehicle, the. combination of a body of substantially airplane configuration having upper and lower longron's, said body being mounted upon a plurality of wheels consisting of fore wheels and an aft wheel of which the fore wheels are carried by a structure mounted on the lower longrons and the aft wheel on a vertical member held in relatively rigid relation with said body, and a seat on said body adapted to be straddled by the occupant so that his feet will be in a position to propel said vehicle.

5. In a vehicle toy simulating an airplane and having a body structure of a width substantially equal to that of a seat fastened thereto, fore and aft wheels for said body, a swivel mounting provided for said aft wheel, a cross member pivotally mounted Within said body, a connection between said swivel mounting and said cross ;member, and a vertically mounted pivoted lever mechanically connected to said cross member for steering said toy.

6. In a vehicle toy, the combination of a body simulating an airplane, a tail structure comprising a pair of spring mounted elevators and a movable rudder disposed there-between, wheel structures for said body, and a wing structure mounted on said body.

7. A vehicle toy simulating an airplane and having a body structure provided with a seat thereon, wheel structures for carrying the same, and a. tail structure including a tail post, vertical stabilizer secured to the body and said tail post, and a movable rudder secured to said vertical stabilizer, said vertical stabilizer having a depending portion provided with a flange for attachment to said tail post.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 11th day of October, 1919.

GEORGE MILLER. 

